Washington's mayor has vetoed a bill that would force Wal-Mart and other large retailers to pay their employees a "living wage" of at least $12.50 an hour.

Mayor Vincent Gray says in a statement that the legislation is "not a true living-wage bill." The Democratic mayor also calls it a "job killer," saying large retailers would avoid opening stores in the District of Columbia if it became law.

Wal-Mart had said it would not build three of six planned stores if the bill became law. The D.C. Council approved it in July on an 8-5 vote, which is one short of a veto-proof majority.

The bill would only affect retailers with stores of 75,000 square feet or larger, at least $1 billion in annual sales and non-unionized workforces.